Swordfish is an Indian

active electronically scanned array An active electronically scanned array (AESA) is a type of phased array antenna, which is a computer-controlled array antenna in which the beam of radio waves can be electronically steered to point in different directions without moving the an ...

(AESA) long-range tracking radar specifically developed to counter ballistic missile threat. It will be a part of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Programme. First testing of this radar was in March 2009. Main aim of the test was to validate the capabilities of the ''Swordfish Long Range Tracking Radar'' (LRTR). "The missile to be hit will be fired from a longer distance than it was in the earlier test.

DRDO The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, ...

tested whether the radar could track the incoming missile from that distance or not," said a member of the project. This radar is an acknowledged derivative of the Israeli

EL/M-2080 Green Pine The EL/M-2080 Green Pine ( he, אורן ירוק, ) is an Israeli ground-based missile-defense radar produced by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, to operate mainly with the Arrow theater missile defense system of Israel, whic ...

long range radar, which is the critical component of that country's Arrow missile defense system. However, it differs from the Israeli system as it employs Indian Transmit Receive modules, signal processing, computers and power supplies. It is also more powerful than the base Green Pine system and was developed to meet India's specific BMD needs.

Development

Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by ...

acquired two Green Pine long range base variant radar from Israel in July 2002 and August 2005 since USA vetoed the complete sale of

Arrow 2 The Arrow or ''Hetz'' ( he , חֵץ, ) is a family of anti-ballistic missiles designed to fulfill an Israeli requirement for a missile defense system that would be more effective against ballistic missiles than the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air ...

missile defense Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), ...

system in 1999 due to violation of

Missile Technology Control Regime The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a multilateral export control regime. It is an informal political understanding among 35 member states that seek to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology. The regime was formed ...

(MTCR) which India at that time was not a participating member state. From March 2009, DRDO started validation trials for its own long-range capabilities of Swordfish radar. More tests were conducted in 2009 to enhance the capabilities of

Advanced Air Defence The Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Program is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered ballistic missile defence system to protect India from ballistic missile attacks. It was launched in 2000 after Kargil War by the Atal Bihari Vaj ...

(AAD) endo-atmospheric missile to intercept incoming missiles at altitudes up to 15 km. If no issues crop up, then the tentative date for deployment is 2015. As of January 2019, Swordfish was able to detect over 10 successful missile interceptions that includes two exo-atmospheric hit-to-kill missions.

Super Swordfish

A new upgraded 1,500 km range ''Super Swordfish Long Range Tracking Radar'' or Very Long Range Tracking Radar (VLRTR) was developed since 2011 by the

Electronics and Radar Development Establishment Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), India. Located in C.V. Raman Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, its primary function is research and development of rad ...

(LRDE) in view of

multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle A multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) is an exoatmospheric ballistic missile payload containing several warheads, each capable of being aimed to hit a different target. The concept is almost invariably associated with in ...

(MIRV) development taking place in China and Pakistan.

Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO; ) is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman ...

(ISRO) is already using an

L band The L band is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) designation for the range of frequencies in the radio spectrum from 1 to 2 gigahertz (GHz). This is at the top end of the ultra high frequency (UHF) band, at the lower en ...

AESA radar called Multi Object Tracking Radar (MOTR) which is based on the same technology with fixed horizontal and vertical angle rotating at 360°. It is capable of tracking 0.25 m² object at 1,000 km and 0.09 m² at 800 km of

Low Earth Orbit A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never mor ...

(LEO). Astra Microwave developed the antenna, transmit and receive (T/R) module and

DC-to-DC converter A DC-to-DC converter is an electronic circuit or electromechanical device that converts a source of direct current (DC) from one voltage level to another. It is a type of electric power converter. Power levels range from very low (small batteries) ...

. NS Engineering created the cooling system and mechanical structure. Cape Electronics developed the power distribution system. As per Ministry of Defence (MoD), two units of VLRTR systems were accorded by Union Government under memorandum of understanding (MoU) between

National Technical Research Organisation The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) is a technical intelligence agency under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister's Office, India. It was set up in 2004. It has the same "norms of conduct" as the Intelligenc ...

(NTRO) and

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

for Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme. First unit was raised in 2017 and the system is operational.

Capabilities

* Target acquisition and fire control radar for the BMD system. * Can Guide Exo-atmospheric interceptor missile PAD to hit its target in space at an altitude over 80 km from earth. *It can detect and track 200 targets simultaneously travelling at a speed of over Mach 12. * The Swordfish LRTR currently has a range of - km range and can spot objects as small as a

cricket ball A cricket ball is a hard, solid ball used to play cricket. A cricket ball consists of a cork core wound with string then a leather cover stitched on, and manufacture is regulated by cricket law at first-class level. The trajectory of a crick ...

(3-inches in diameter), which the DRDO is in the process of upgrading it to 1,500 km as of 2012. These may end up as entirely new designs as well.

Users

(IAF) *

(NTRO)

References

External links

domain-b.com : India gears up for next round of Ballistic Missile Defence tests

Another Ballistic missile defence test next month - Indian Express
{{Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Military radars of India Defence Research and Development Organisation Missile defense